Seriously -- Happy fricking New Year. And I say that secure in the knowledge that 2011 will without a chinchilla of doubt be the suckiest year any of us has experienced in memory. Suckier than 1968, even, unless we're very lucky. Which I doubt we will be.
In that spirit then, please enjoy -- from sometime in the early 80s -- the irrepressible Andy Breckman and his ode to feeling reasonably okay despite everything -- "I Had a Good Day."
I didn't throw upIncidentally, I remain convinced that The Rolling Stones are singing "Mr. Greenblatt died" rather than "You make a grown man cry" in "Start Me Up."
I didn't throw up
About a quarter to four
I almost threw up
But I didn't throw up
I had a real good day
M brother didn't die
My mother didn't die
My father didn't die
My sister didn't die
Mr. Greenblatt died
I had a real good day
Apparently, I have issues.
Here's a Listomania topic - best optimistic rock song. Hormone-charged praise of hot girls doesn't count. It needs to be a song about life being good more or less in toto.
ReplyDeleteOr Foreigner. Or Styx.
It's a pretty small sample. Start with "Daydream" by the Lovin' Spoonful.
And if you play "Start Me Up" backwards, you can hear Charlie intone "I buried Greenblatt"...
ReplyDeleteWhoever Mick is singing to in "Start Me Up" could make a dead man come, which is a special talent, I must say.
ReplyDeleteActually, I always thought that was kinda gross.
ReplyDelete:-)
pete -- "best optimistic" rock song would be a good exercise. Yesterday, Todd Rundgren's "All the Children Sing" was running through my head for some reason, and it was not at all unwelcome. And how about the sheer optimism of "Gotta Lotta Livin' to Do", with blue-jeaned Elvis coming on all electrifyin', exactly like Al Jolson's doing "Toot Toot Tootsie" in Jazz Singer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect pop song! I had heard it before, but thanks so much for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteAnd tonight, everyone raise a glass to each other, our little corner of the internet, and hope, or even pray, that this year is less sucky than last.
Happy New Year!
Trey
As for optimistic songs, how about The Man Who Murdered Love by XYC? Wonderfully optimistic music with levels upon levels of irony in the words.
ReplyDeleteTrey
What was wrong with 1968? I was a very sheltered four-year-old in a well-to-do suburban neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI could walk and talk and was potty-trained. Everyone I knew was still alive, and Christmas was still fun.
Never heard this before -- love it!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a self-generated Listomania! And so, in that spirit, I nominate "Here Comes the Sun".
ReplyDeleteAnd if anyone suggests "Don't Worry, Be Happy" I will personally come to your house and smack you with a dead herring.
Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone!
BTW -- I've been looking for an excuse to post that Crumb cover since forever.
ReplyDeleteIt never fails to crack me up...
:-)
Finally listened to the tune.
ReplyDeleteheh.
The music reminds me of Chris Spedding.
Breckman's a big-time comedy writer. Wrote for Letterman for years; also did a couple of movies.
ReplyDeleteHe had a parallel career as a folkie -- that's a demo he did with a bunch of guys I knew from the Village back in the day.
Of course, Harvey Pekar died this year, so I thought it was a tribute. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteMost optimistic song is going to be somewhere in the Jonathan Richman collection;>
Acccckkkk. Got to start looking more closely. I thought it was an American Splendor cover.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, will miss Harvey.
and happy new year
That's about a barrel of awesome in a ten-gallon hat.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you & yours!